Edinburgh International Film Festival: Highlights and Lowlights - Café regular critics Paul Gallagher, Alistair Harkness and Pasquale Iannonne share their thoughts on 'what's hot and what's not' at this year's EIFF as well as discussing all the latest news and gossip.

Killler Joe: Actress Gina Gershon discusses the shockingly cool, controversial and brutal black comedy that opened the EIFF; it opens nationwide this week, and our critics also review the film.

An Insight into the EIFF' - We explore the educational opportunities the EIFF provides with Lecturer Pasquale Iannone, who will explain the ideas behind his popular course, run in conjunction with Edinburgh University and the Edinburgh International Film Festival, and which offers students access to six film premieres, beginning with the Opening Night, and one 'in-person' event. Gregory La Cava Retrospective: Alison Kerr discusses this year's EIFF Retrospective on La Cava - the man behind some of the finest and smartest, if not best known, comedies of the thirties and forties. Your Sister's Sister: We hear from the director and review this superbly acted and engaging film which subverts rom-com conventions

Our biggest stars are in town to close the Edinburgh International Film Festival on Saturday night — ahead of the film’s general release on August 3.

On day four of our special series celebrating the biggest Scottish movie since Braveheart MARC DEANIE gives you the lowdown on all things Brave... A - A-listers The cream of Scots showbiz names were snapped up for the film. US chat show king Craig Ferguson (Lord Macintosh), Trainspotting beauty Kelly Macdonald (Princess Merida) and Grey’s Anatomy hunk Kevin McKidd (Lord and Young MacGuffin) are all on-board.

As is Robbie Coltrane. Robbie, who stars as Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies, plays Lord Dingwall.

Our most famous comedian, Billy Connolly, voices King Fergus and Emma Thompson completes the star-studded cast as Queen Elinor

Kevin McKidd reveals all about whisky-fuelled recording sessions for charity folk albumThe Scottish star of Grey's Anatomy, Brave and Trainspotting has turned his attention to music – returning to the north-east to collaborate with friends and musicians, and produce a new album raising funds for Save the Children.watch the video here

Now a bona fide star in the US, Kevin McKidd has set his well-known Scottish brogue to music. The red-haired actor came to fame for roles in TV shows Rome and Grey's Anatomy – and he voices a character in Disney-Pixar's new Brave, which is set in Scotland.

Now he's released a Scottish folk music album featuring friends and local musicians from his home region in the north-east of Scotland.

McKidd said: "I've kind of been dancing around the world of music and never quite taken the leap -- because to be honest, I've been very lucky to be too busy filming TV and movies to find that window of time to really do it.

"But it's definitely an itch that I have to scratch."

McKidd made The Speyside Sessions over a five-day period at a rented home along the River Spey last New Year's Eve. The idea came a year earlier when what had been planned as simply a get-together at the end of 2010 turned into a roaring music party.

At the end of last year, McKidd hauled in professional sound equipment and the same friends plus more musicians. They cooked together, drank beer and local whisky, and recorded multiple takes of 28 songs in total.

"Only 15 made the cut," he explained. "And we knew that that would be the case because when you're recording live – especially when people are drinking Guinness and whisky, sometimes the takes are going to be a bit rough."

McKidd says he developed a love of Scottish folk music from his grandfather, who would sing and entertain others at his home and in bars. The songs have downbeat topics but a positive attitude.

"What I love about the music in general in Scotland is that there's a real vitality to it," he continued. "It's very – a lot of the songs are working songs, working man songs. Fishing songs, farming songs. A lot of the songs in the northeast of Scotland are about bad conditions, bad working conditions.

“But you never get the sense that the people that wrote these songs are complaining or being negative about their lot. It's more just about this is the way life is and let's make the best of it. I really love that sentiment." McKidd says his next musical project could be much more challenging: tackling Broadway in a big musical.

"I would be terrified doing it," he said. "Because it's a very big challenge to stand there front and centre in a big musical on Broadway and belt your guts out and hope that you don't fall flat on your face. But it's something I'm willing to take the challenge of. ... With the right amount of work I could probably, you know, not embarrass myself."

ROBBIE Coltrane, Kelly MacDonald and Kevin McKidd will be attending the European premiere of Disney-Pixar film Brave, Edinburgh film festival organisers have confirmed.

• Robbie Coltrane, Kelly MacDonald and Kevin McKidd among attendees for Brave’s European premiere on Saturday • Other attendees include Ewen Bremner, Kate Dickie, Daniela Nardini and Brian Cox • First Minister Alex Salmond also expected to attend A full house of 1900 is expected at two separate screenings, with huge crowds expected to greet the stars for the red carpet arrivals, from 3-4pm onwards.

I first heard about The Speyside Sessions about 6 months ago when Kevin McKidd mentioned on twitter that he had recorded an album with friends for charity over New Year's. Little did I know the amount of time and immense talent that was donated by local artists and musicians from the Elgin, Moray area of the Scotland. Many of whom I wouldn't have heard otherwise had I not bought The Speyside Sessions, this was just another incentive for me to purchase the CD aside from the proceeds going to Save the Children.

The album is a mix of styles from Scottish folk music that are about 200 years old in some cases and in spite of their age, the songs are timeless. When you listen to The Speyside Sesssions you are listening to what “Sessioners” have aptly described as “a love letter to Scotland”. The upbeat songs like“Charlie is My Darlin” just make me wish I was in the room when they were recorded because it seems like such a great time was had. Like “Charlie”, “Raggle Taggle Gypsy” and the raucous“Barnyards O' Delgaty” features majority of the musicians, its easy to see how much of a group effort was needed for these pieces. Complex songs like “The Muckin' o' Geordie's Byre” really made me appreciate the skill it takes to belt out some of these tunes because of how intricate the lyrics are in speed and dialect. The ballads on this CD are nothing but gems. “These Are My Mountains” is a very emotional song that will make you homesick for Scotland even if you have never been there. The harmonies of the men and women vocals on “Both Sides of the Tweed” are chilling. “Fareweel Tae Tarwathie” is a beautiful acoustic piece that inspires fantasies of running along the lush green of Scotland. The women who sing on The Speyside Sessions have such unique voices and its refreshing to listen to female musicians that aren't trying to sound like the Taylor Swifts and Adeles of the world. The male “Sessioners” are just as eclectic in their range of talent in vocals and instruments (such as the fiddle) from what I've seen on the teaser video for The Speyside Sessionson YouTube.

In a nutshell, The Speyside Sessions is the perfect album for anyone that has an interest in folk music of any kind, and would like to support a charity at the same time. Thank you to Kevin McKidd and all those involved in The Speyside Sessions for recording this album, hopefully there will soon be a Volume 2. Many thanks to Maya for her reviewPurchase the CDMake a donation to Save the Childern and receive an unique thank you gift First Giving / Just GivingDie Hard Competion win a skype group session with Kevin (audio and Video)Purchase a Speyside Sessions T-shirt

So had an amazing night at the premier of Comes A Bright day. At the end of last week, Josef Altin (who plays the robber Clegg in the film) offered me a ticket to the screening and the after party.

It really was a fantastic night! Saw the film, had a glass of champagne at after party...it would have been the cherry on the cake if Kevin himself had been there but watching the film sitting next to Joe and his oldest friend (who is just so proud of him!) was something really special.

Comes a bright day what can I say about the film itself.....it is stunning!

Cinematically it is a quintessentially British master class. Clean lines, some beautiful art to inter cut dramatic sequences, showing that there is beauty and hope to be found even in the most desperate situation.

The ensemble cast are all wonderful- Imogen Poots has an innocence that is undercut with a real grit, Timothy Spall plays the romanticised antique dealer to perfection and Josef Altin gives a dramatic performance of note and gives pathos to the comedic moments bestowed upon his character. The interplay between Joe and Kevin is pacy, witty and they have a real chemistry together! (Not Sandra/Kevin chemistry but chemistry none the less!).

So Kevin plays Cameron- the psychopathic/sociopathic armed robber who develops reverse stockholm syndrome toward the female hostage. In parts reminicent of the Heath Leger portrayal of the joker as he flitted between moments of emotional clarity, as he looked at photos of his female hostage and cried into the mirror, and derranged yet clinical threats to kill and do harm. Menacing yet moving, derranged yet damaged.

Let's start with the important stuff:

Kevin in this film is dressed immaculately in a power house of British men's fashion- Paul Smith. Even the British tailoring adds to the clean and precise visual this film effortlessly captures.

He has a British east end accent- really rough. Surprised me when he first spoke, was expecting scottish!

He plays with the stutter so well, it comes across as a natural part of his vocal cadence. He not only masters it in sound but also physically- the lip placement, the shuddering as he forces the sounds out of his mouth and the looks and gestures of sheer frustration showing us a snapshot of how his mind is working faster than this mouth. Really well done. Clear Kevin put the work in to master it- true method actor.

His character says f**k a lot in this film!!!

He has longer hair and a scruffier longer beard which are oh so hot!! There are some beautiful close ups of his face without the mask in the second half of the film.

There is a beautiful moment where Cameron is listening to Madam Butterfly EP and kevin does what he does best- no words but the eyes, the face and the patterns of breath tell the story!

Also a very intense moment as Cameron corners Mary (Poots) and the intensity of the face off suggests he will attack but instead he let's down her hair, collapses to the floor and his head to her stomach embraces her and breaks down his barriers momentarily. Within This cathartic moment Kevin's performance leaves you with only one response as a viewer- empathy for this damaged soul. He invites you in to as "what has happened to you?" For me (and it may just be to do with my job I feel this way) this was the most powerful part of the movie.

This film Scares you, emotionally moves you, romances you and makes you laugh out loud more than once!! The audience is on just as much of a roller coaster as the hostages!! Comes A Bright Day is not a typical heist movie, it is more subtle than that.

Yes it has all guns blazing moments of violence that make you wince and raise your anxiety levels, but it is also a story of finding love in unlikely places, of a terrible event being beautifully liberating- of being set free and daring to dream and them maybe coming true.Many thanks to Hannah for supplying KMKO exclusively with her review of Comes A Bright Day

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